Geotechnical Investigations for the Ponnaiyar- Palar Intra State Link Canal Project (Borrow Area and Along the Canal Alignment)
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International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology (IJIET) http://dx.doi.org/10.21172/ijiet.81.052 Geotechnical Investigations for the Ponnaiyar- Palar Intra State Link Canal Project (Borrow Area and along the Canal Alignment) Shahid Noor Corresponding Author and Scientist ‘C’, Central Soil and Materials Research Station, Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, Government of India, Olof Palme Marg, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016. Dr. R. Chitra Scientist ‘E’, Central Soil and Materials Research Station, Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, Government of India, Olof Palme Marg, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016 Dr. Manish Gupta Scientist ‘D’, Central Soil and Materials Research Station, Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, Government of India, Olof Palme Marg, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016 Dr. Amardeep Singh Scientist ‘C’, Central Soil and Materials Research Station, Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, Government of India, Olof Palme Marg, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016 Abstract - Rainfall is the important element of Indian economy. Although the monsoons effect most part of India, the amount of rainfall varies from heavy to scanty on different parts. There is great regional and temporal variation in the distribution of rainfall. Over 80% of the annual rainfall is received in the four rainy months of June to September. The average annual rainfall is about 125 cm, but it has great spatial variations. This lead to excess rainfall in one region which results the flood and water shortage in other region which leads to the drought in other region. The interlinking project are envisaged with aim to transfer the water from the water surplus region the water deficit region. The Ponnaiyar (Nedungal Anicut) - Palar Intra-state Link Project of Tamil Nadu envisages diversion of 99 Mm3 of flood water of Ponnaiyar river available at Krishnagiri dam to the Palar River. The main objective of the link Project is to improve the Groundwater potential to stabilize the existing command area and stabilize the enroute command areas of Tamil Nadu state. The geotechnical investigation for the proposed Ponnaiyar (Nedungal Anicut) - Palar Intra-state Link Project was undertaken by CSMRS. The paper presents the soil investigations carried out along the canal alignment of the proposed link canal. Key Words: Geotechnical Investigations, Borrow Area Investigations, Foundation Investigations, Trial Pits, Shear, Link Canal, Compaction, Consolidation Disclaimer: The views expressed in this paper are strictly individual views of the author and do not, in any way, represent the views of the department/organization where they are presently working. I. INTRODUCTION India is a vast country and is highly diversified in terms of natural resources and socio-economic setup. Moreover, its water resources are unevenly distributed in space and time. With increasing population and increasing aspiration Volume 8 Issue 1 – February 2017 380 ISSN: 2319 - 1058 International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology (IJIET) http://dx.doi.org/10.21172/ijiet.81.052 for improved standard of living, there is an acute pressure on the demand and availability of water. In India, the river-linking project in a sensible and scientific manner will not only allow the prevention of the colossal wastage of a vitally important natural resource, flood and inundation by detaining flowing surface water of rainy seasons, but also ensure availability of water to drier areas, combating both flood and drought simultaneously. Moreover, it will generate 34,000 MW of hydropower and irrigation to an additional 35 million hectares (135,135 square miles) of land (Sharon Gourdji, Carrie Knowlton & Kobi Platt). II. INTERLINKING OF RIVERS IN INDIA Human societies have always tried to expand the spatial extent of availability of water by the diversion of streams or rivers. The idea of drawing water from the rivers in eastern India, which have larger run-off, in comparison to certain places in the peninsular region, where the precipitation levels are much lower, can be seen as an extension of that practice. The country receives about 4,000 cu km of water as precipitation annually. However, unlike the precipitation patterns in the temperate regions of the world, precipitation in India is characterized by acute variations in both space and time. A large part of the total precipitation on the country is received in the Himalayan catchments of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. The distribution of precipitation over India is predominantly governed by the Monsoon, as a result of which the northeastern quarter of the country receives substantially larger precipitation, in comparison with the northwestern, western and southern parts. Though the west-flowing rivers originating from the Western Ghats have substantial runoff, the spatial scope for their wider utilization is limited (Upali A. Amarasinghe et.al). For assessing the water resources of India, the area of the country has been divided in 24 river-basins in which the west flowing rivers from the Western Ghats have all been clubbed as one. On the basis of the National Perspective on water resource development, the interlinking project has two components - the Himalayan and the Peninsular (NWDA web site). The Himalayan component includes construction of storage dams on the main tributaries of Ganga and Brahmaputra to transfer 'surplus' water to the west. The Peninsular component involves connecting rivers like Godavari and Mahanadi that have 'surplus' water with rivers like Krishna and Cauvery. A total of 31 link are envisaged, out of which 14 links will be in the Himalayan component and 17 links will be in the Peninsular component (Figure 1). III. PONNAIYAR - PALAR INTRA STATE LINK CANAL PROJECT The Ponnaiyar (Nedungal Anicut) - Palar Intra-State Link Project, Tamil Nadu envisages diversion of 99 Mm3 of flood flows/spill waters of Ponnaiyar river available at Krishnagiri dam from the existing Nedungal Anicut, located at 16 km downstream of Krishnagiri Dam, to the Palar River. The main objective of the link canal project is to improve the groundwater potential for stabilizing the existing command area up to 9500 ha. which is presently irrigated through open wells and bore wells in water-short Vaniyambadi taluk of Vellore district in Palar basin and feeding enroute system of water tanks (Eris) for stabilising the enroute command areas in Krishnagiri and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu state. Apart the above, a quantum of about 3.882 Mm3 of water is planned for domestic water supply to enroute villages of 1.52 lakh population. The Ponnaiyar (Nedungal Anicut ) – Palar Link Canal off-takes from the left bank of the existing Nedungal Anicut at FSL 434.450 m and outfalls at 419.666 m into Kal Ar of Godd Ar, which is a tributary of Palar river near Natrampalli village of Vaniyambadi taluk. The total length of the link canal is 54.15 km. The canal passes by gravity through Pochampalli & Krishnagiri taluks of Krishnagiri district and Tirupattur taluk of Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. The canal is designed as unlined canal with trapezoidal section to carry the designed discharge of 68 cumecs with a uniform bed width of 25.0 m and full supply depth of 2.45 m. Uniform bed slope of 1:4500 is adopted for the entire length of the link canal. The link canal crosses 62 CD/CM structures enroute including one head regulator at off-take point and one out-fall structure at tail end. The main features and cross drainage structures along the canal alignment of proposed Ponnaiyar (Nedungal Anicut) - Palar Intra State Link Canal Project, Tamil Nadu are given in Table 1 a & 1 b. Volume 8 Issue 1 – February 2017 381 ISSN: 2319 - 1058 International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology (IJIET) http://dx.doi.org/10.21172/ijiet.81.052 Figure 1 Proposed Interlinking of Rivers Projects in India IV. BENEFITS FROM THE PROJECT The Ponnaiyar (NedungalAnicut) - Palar Intra-state Link Project of Tamil Nadu is planned as a multipurpose project with flood control, water supply and irrigation benefit in the downstream of Krisnagiri dam. The project is planned to divert the 99 Mm3 of flood flows/spill waters of Ponnaiyar river available at Krishnagiri dam at 50% dependability from the existing Nedungal Anicut, located at 16 km downstream of Krishnagiri Dam, to the Palar River (CSMRS 2015). The project will improve the groundwater potential and will stabilize the existing command area to an extent of 9500 ha which is presently being irrigated through open wells and bore wells in water-short Vaniyambadi taluk of Vellore district in Palar basin apart from feeding enroute system water tanks (Eris) for stabilizing the enroute command areas in Krishnagiri and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu state. A quantum of about 3.882 Mm3 of water is planned for domestic water supply to enroute villages for about 1.52 lakh population. Table 1a : Main Features of the Link Canal Table 1 b : Cross Drainage structures along the Canal Alignment S. No. Feature Characteristics S. No. Feature Nos. 1 Length of the canal 54.15 km 1 Head Regulator at Off take 1 No. Trapezoidal / CR cum Escape at RD 29.55km 2 Shape/type of canal 2 1 No. Unlined canal at Bargur Ar.pe 3 FSL at Off-take +434.450 m 3 CR/Outfall Structure 1 No. 4 Bed slope of the canal 1 in 4500 4 Aqueducts 6 Nos. Full supply depth 5 2.45 m 5 Canal Syphon 6 Nos. (FSD) 6 FSL at Outfall +419.666 m 6 Super Passages 2 Nos. Bed width of the 7 25 m 7 SLRB 16 Nos. canal Side slopes of the 8 1.5H:1V 8 DLRB 18 Nos. canal 9 Maximum carrying 68 cumec 9 Outlets 5 Nos. Volume 8 Issue 1 – February 2017 382 ISSN: 2319 - 1058 International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology (IJIET) http://dx.doi.org/10.21172/ijiet.81.052 capacity of the canal 10 Undertunnels 5 Nos.